Hoop device



YUN CHUL HOOP DEVICE July 21, 1964 Filed April 26, 1963 INVENTOR YUN CHUL ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,141,669 HOOP DEVICE Yuri Chul, 8%51 Hawangsimri-dong (Hongik-dong), Songdong-ku, Seoul, Korea Filed Apr. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 275,905 4 Claims. (Cl. 272-33) The present invention relates to a hoop device.

Hoop devices are known, in which two ring members are capable of rotating relative to each other, and which in most instances are of a permanent structure.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a hoop device, which comprises three rings mounted for rotation relative to each other and which lend themselves for easy assembly and disassembly, respectively.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means for retaining the outermost and largest hoop either in vertical or in horizontal position, while two additional inner hoops, of which the innermost hoop may be formed as a double hoop, are rotatable relative to the outer hoop, as well as relative to each other.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a hoop device which has a base ring, in order to position the hoop device on the floor either indoors or outdoors, and which base ring has supporting rollers turnable from an operative into an inoperative position, in order to permit movement thereof around the floor of the hooping device, in which case the rollers are turned into operative position.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective front elevation of the hoop device, designed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a section along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a section along the lines 44 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, the hoop device cornprises a plurality of elements and substantially all main elements are formed as tubular members, in order to decrease the total weight of the device.

The hoop device comprises a base ring 1 which is equipped with at least three rollers 2 mounted on clamp ing sleeves 3, which can be tightened and, thereby, are clamped to the base ring 1 by means of screw bolts 4. The face opposite the roller mounting is disposed flat, so that the clamping sleeves engage the floor with their flat face in the inoperative position of the rollers 2. Upon lifting the bolts 4, the sleeves can be turned around for 180 and the bolts 4 tightened again, so that the rollers 2 engage the floor, and the hoop is movable around the floor.

Two parallel cross bars 5 are secured tightly by means of clamp supports 6 to the base ring 1 and are, thus, disposed across and inside the base ring 1. The bushings 6 are equipped with fork-shaped extensions, adapted to receive upwardly extending bars 7, which are inclined towards each other to be joined at the upper end thereof and are secured together. A bolt 8 is releasably received in a bore at the joining point of the upwardly extending bars 7.

Slightly spaced apart from the bolt 8, the upwardly extending bars 7 have secured thereto a bearing 9 having tapered rollers, as particularly clearly shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing.

The bearing 9 is mounted on a bolt 10 extending through the bearing support 11 which is secured to the upwardly extending bars 7, the latter being arranged diametrically opposite each other on the base ring 1.

A first hoop 12 is rotatably mounted in the bearing 9 secured to the bearing support 11, so that the first hoop "ice 1 is capable of turning about a horizontal axis defined by the opposite bearings 9.

Means are also arranged to retain the first hoop 12 either in vertical or in horizontal position. The hoop 1 has for this purpose a sleeve-like extension 13, which is adapted to receive therein one end of the bolt 8, upon moving the latter inwardly into the sleeve-like extension 13. In this position, the first hoop is retained in vertical position and cannot perform any turning movement about the bearing 9. Furthermore, a bracket 14 extends horizontally from the bearing support 11, which has a bore 15 at its outer end spaced apart from the bolt 8 at a distance equal with that of the bore provided at the upper end of the bars 7. In order to move the first hoop into horizontal position, the pin 8 is withdrawn completely from the supporting bars 7, and upon turning the first hoop 12 into horizontal position, the pin 8 is inserted through the bore 15 and the inner end of the bolt 8 is again received by the sleeve-like projection 13. By such arrangement, the first hoop 12 is then retained in hori zontal position.

Diametrically opposite each other, additional bearings 9 are secured to the first hoop, which bearings 9 support a second hoop 16 rotatably mounted in the first hoop 12 by means of the bearings 9 for rotation about an axis defined by the two opposite bearings 59 Diametrically opposite, a third set of bearings 9 is secured to the second hoop apart from the bearings 9 which bearings 9 have secured thereto cross bars 17, to the ends of which two hoops, forming a third hoop 18 as a double hoop, are rotatably mounted within the second hoop 16. Additional hoop supporting cross bars 19 carrying feet supports 20 are secured between the hoops 18, and in addition, preferably cranked hand gripping cross bars 29' are secured between the hoops 18.

In order to strengthen the mounting of the upwardly extending bars 7, struts 21 are pivotally secured between the cross bars 5 and the upwardly directed bars 7.

It should be emphasized that all connections between the bars are preferably performed by bolts and nuts, so that an easy assembly and disassembly of anyone of the hoops, as Well as of the connecting bars can easily be performed.

In order to maintain the third double hoop 18 in a predetermined position, a balancing member is secured to the double hoop 18 which consists of a plurality of plates 22, disposed between the cross bars 19 and provided in superposed position and maintained in such position by means of bolts 23, which extend through the hoops 18, as well as through the weight plates 22, to be secured in position by nuts 24. The bolts 23 are of such length that a greater or lesser number of balancing weights can be added, in order to balance the third double hoop 18 in accordance with the weight of the person using the hoop.

It is quite apparent that the present arrangement permits a rotation of the third hoop within the second hoop and of the second hoop within the first hoop and the first hoop in turn about a horizontal axis, so that upon rotation of all hoops, a combination of rotations of a person using the hoop device can be obtained, which was not possible until now with the known structures.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A hoop device comprising a base ring,

two cross bars disposed parallel to and spaced apart from each other and secured Within said base ring to the latter,

two bars extending upwardly at an angle towards each other from the corresponding ends of said cross bars to be joined at their upper ends at a predetermined distance above the plane defined by said base ring,

a bearing disposed adjacent to the upper ends of each set of'said two bars, said opposite hearings to define a substantially horizontal rotating axis, and forming a first'set of bearings,

a first hoop rotatably mounted in said oppositely disposed bearings,

a second pair of bearings disposed diametrically opposite each other and' 90 apart from saidfirst pair of bearings and secured to said first hoop,

a second hoop supported by said second pair of bearings for rotation within said first hoop about an axis defined by said second pair of bearings,

a third pair of bearings disposed diametrically opposite each other and 90 apart from said second pair of bearings and secured to said second hoop,

a first cross bar secured to each of said bearings of two second parallel cross bars secured to and disposed close to each other between said hoop member of said third hoop and having foot supports, adapted to secure safety the feet of a userof said hoop to said third hoop, and

two third parallel cross bars secured to and disposed betweensaid-hoop members of said third hoop substantially diametrically opposite said second parallel cross bars, said third parallel cross bars being adapted to be gripped by the hands of a user of said hoop.

2. The hoop, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a balancing weight disposed crosswise between and secured to said hoop members of said third hoop and located between said second parallel cross bars.

3. The hoop, as set forth in claim 1, which includes at least three supports carrying a roller peripherally spaced apart from each other and secured to said base ring, and

means permitting turning of said supports on said base ring to shift said rollers from an operative floorengaging position into an inoperative position.

4. The hoop, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a sleeve-like projection extending from said first hoop outwardly above said first bearing opposite the upper end of each pair of said upwardly extending bars,

each pair of said upwardly extending bars having at their upper end a bore,

a pin extending releasably through said bore of said pair of upwardly extending bars and received in said sleeve-like projection to retain said first hoop in vertical position, and

a bracket projecting in substantial horizontal direction from said first bearing carried by each pair of said upwardly extending bars and having a bore at the outer end at a distance equal with that of said sleevelike projection of said first hoop from said bearing, so that upon turning said first hoop into a horizontal plane and inserting said pin through said bore of said bracket into said sleeve-like projection, said first hoop is retained in horizontal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ruggles June 8, 1920 Thompson Jan. 17, 1939 

1. A HOOP DEVICE COMPRISING A BASE RING, TWO CROSS BARS DISPOSED PARALLEL TO AND SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER AND SECURED WITHIN SAID BASE RING TO THE LATTER, TWO BARS EXTENDING UPWARDLY AT AN ANGLE TOWARDS EACH OTHER FROM THE CORRESPONDING ENDS OF SAID CROSS BARS TO BE JOINED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS AT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE ABOVE THE PLANE DEFINED BY SAID BASE RING, A BEARING DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE UPPER ENDS OF EACH SET OF SAID TWO BARS, SAID OPPOSITE BEARINGS TO DEFINE A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL ROTATING AXIS, AND FORMING A FIRST SET OF BEARINGS, A FIRST HOOP ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID OPPOSITELY DISPOSED BEARINGS, A SECOND PAIR OF BEARINGS DISPOSED DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER AND 90* APART FROM SAID FIRST PAIR OF BEARINGS AND SECURED TO SAID FIRST HOOP, A SECOND HOOP SUPPORTED BY SAID SECOND PAIR OF BEARINGS FOR ROTATION WITHIN SAID FIRST HOOP ABOUT AN AXIS DEFINED BY SAID SECOND PAIR OF BEARINGS, A THIRD PAIR OF BEARINGS DISPOSED DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER AND 90* APART FROM SAID SECOND PAIR OF BEARINGS AND SECURED TO SAID SECOND HOOP, A FIRST CROSS BAR SECURED TO EACH OF SAID BEARINGS OF SAID THIRD PAIR OF BEARINGS FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS DEFINED BY SAID THIRD PAIR OF BEARINGS, A THIRD HOOP COMPRISING TWO HOOP MEMBERS DISPOSED SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER IN PARALLEL PLANES AND SECURED TO THE ENDS OF SAID LAST MENTIONED CROSS BARS, TWO SECOND PARALLEL CROSS BARS SECURED TO AND DISPOSED CLOSE TO EACH OTHER BETWEEN SAID HOOP MEMBER OF SAID THIRD HOOP AND HAVING FOOT SUPPORTS, ADAPTED TO SECURE SAFETY THE FEET OF A USER OF SAID HOOP TO SAID THIRD HOOP, AND TWO THIRD PARALLEL CROSS BARS SECURED TO AND DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID HOOP MEMBERS OF SAID THIRD HOOP SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SAID SECOND PARALLEL CROSS BARS, SAID THIRD PARALLEL CROSS BARS BEING ADAPTED TO BE GRIPPED BY THE HANDS OF A USER OF SAID HOOP. 